Germany edges Argentina 2:1 to reach 2026 Hockey World Cup final against Spain
Paul-Philipp Kaufmann scored a 54th-minute winner in Wavre to send defending champion Germany past Argentina and into Sunday's final against Spain.
Scoreless first half in Wavre
Germany secured a place in the 2026 Men's Hockey World Cup final on Friday evening with a 2:1 victory over Argentina in Wavre, Belgium. The defending world and European champions entered the semi-final facing a high-pressing Argentine squad that contested midfield space throughout the opening stages. Germany created the initial scoring opportunity in the sixth minute when captain Tom Grambusch delivered a long pass to Michel Struthoff, who started the match. Struthoff was unable to convert the opportunity from a tight angle. Grambusch anchored the German back line during the first half, intercepting several deep forward passes from the South American side. Germany controlled nearly 60% of ball possession across the opening two quarters, but scoring chances remained scarce. Christopher Rühr generated another attempt in the 29th minute, yet neither side converted before the break, leaving the match scoreless at halftime.
Second-half pressure and opening exchange
Germany increased offensive pressure immediately after the restart in the third quarter. In the 32nd minute, forward Justus Weigand attacked inside the shooting circle, but Argentine defender Thomas Habif cleared the ball off the goal line. Germany capitalized on the momentum one minute later when Moritz Ludwig delivered a pass into the circle, allowing Weigand to deflect the ball into the net for his fourth goal of the tournament. The German team failed to convert two subsequent scoring opportunities to extend the lead to two goals. Argentina responded in the 46th minute at the start of the fourth quarter, earning the first penalty corner of the match for either side. Specialist Tomas Domene converted the set piece to level the score at 1:1.
- Michel Struthoff misses from a tight angle after a pass from Tom Grambusch.
- Christopher Rühr creates Germany's final scoring opportunity of the scoreless first half.
- Thomas Habif clears Justus Weigand's close-range shot off the Argentine goal line.
- Justus Weigand converts a pass from Moritz Ludwig to give Germany a 1:0 lead.
- Tomas Domene scores from a penalty corner to equalize 1:1 for Argentina.
- Paul-Philipp Kaufmann scores the winning goal for Germany following a video review.
- Argentina withdraws their goalkeeper for an additional outfield player.
Decisive goal and late defensive stand
The contest intensified in the closing ten minutes, which featured brief verbal disputes between opposing players. Defender Moritz Ludwig had predicted a "very close match" in pre-game comments on MagentaSport, reflecting the balanced state of play. Germany regained the lead in the 54th minute while playing with a temporary player advantage. Ludwig initiated the decisive attack with a cross, which Weigand helped facilitate before Paul-Philipp Kaufmann finished from close range. Match officials confirmed the goal following a video umpire review. Argentina substituted their goalkeeper for an extra outfield player with three minutes remaining in regulation time. Germany defended the circle against repeated late entries to preserve the 2:1 result until the final whistle.
Final matchup against Spain
The result gives Germany their sixth appearance in a Men's World Cup final. The squad, managed by head coach André Henning, aims to defend the world championship won in 2023. Germany will face Spain in the final on Sunday at 16:30. Spain advanced to the championship match after defeating Olympic champion and tournament co-host Netherlands 4:3 earlier on Friday in Amsterdam. Spain had taken a 1:0 halftime lead before holding off the Dutch team, securing their first World Cup final appearance since 1998. The championship match between Germany and Spain will be broadcast on Magenta.
